Pipelines are used to transmit different forms of gas and other liquids such as oil, slurry and water.

Pipelines are critical infrastructure for Australia, and important for the energy industry

Australia’s first pipeline was commissioned to transport water to the Coolgardie gold fields in the late 1800s. This set a worldwide precedent by being more than 10 times longer than any other pipeline.

The Moonie to Brisbane pipeline was the first Australian pipeline built for the purpose of oil transportation. It was completed in 1964 and was 306 kilometres long. At that time, it was the longest high-pressure pipeline in Australia.

There are more than 33,000km of high-pressure steel pipelines in Australia, more than 25,000km of which are used for natural gas transmission.

Natural gas is the third most important energy commodity in Australia, providing an estimated 20 per cent of Australia’s energy requirements and this figure is set to double over the next two decades.